I know it’s hot, but there is no excuse for missing some of the finest musicians in the business at the 2010 BAM Rhythm & Blues Festival at Metrotech in downtown Brooklyn. Every Thursday through August 5 there will be a free outdoor concert just a few steps away from nearly every subway line in the city of New York.
You’ve already missed Jennifer Holliday, Tony Allen—who played with Fela for 15 years—and Bernie Worrell’s SociaLybrium. While listening to one of his open-air sets two weeks ago, I began to feel that he was truly channeling Jimi Hendrix. Do not miss this Thursday’s concert featuring Victor Wooten, one of the hottest jazzmen in the business today.
This is live music at its best with an appreciative audience sitting (and standing) in the shady center courtyard of Metrotech. Grab a sandwich at any of the dozen local eateries within shouting distance of the stage, kick back, and extend your lunch break into a cool musical memory.
How to get there: Take the 2, 3, 4, 5, Q, M, F, G, R, A, or C trains to downtown Brooklyn, walk one to three blocks and you are at center stage, located on the lawn at MetroTech Commons. MetroTech Commons is situated in the Civic Center/Borough Hall area of Downtown Brooklyn at the corner of Flatbush and Myrtle Avenues. For more specifics, and bus options: visit bam.org.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram